Beer is the only alcoholic drink whose sales continue to increase (particularly thanks to the production of craft beers), according to our partner The Conversation.
In France, the number of craft breweries and micro-breweries has almost quintupled between 2014 and 2021 to reach a total of almost 2300 breweries today.
This analysis was conducted by
Nathalie Louisgrand
, teacher-researcher in haute cuisine at Grenoble Ecole de Management (GEM).
She can be blonde, brunette or redhead.
It can be tasted in draft, bottle or can.
An age-old drink, affectionately called "little mousse", it is made up of more than 90% water as well as hops, malt and yeast.
Beer, a refreshing drink evoking moments of conviviality, football matches, concerts, parties... and has undergone a profound evolution over the past few years.
France is today the 7th beer producer in Europe.
The French consume an average of 33 liters per year, according to Statista.
Although they are far behind the Czechs and Germans with 101 and 75 liters per year per person respectively, it is the only alcoholic beverage whose sales continue to increase, especially thanks to the production of craft beers.
France thus has around ten industrial breweries delivering the majority of beer production.
The two main manufacturers are the Dutch Heineken and the Danish Carlsberg, owner of the French subsidiary Kronenbourg.
However, French beer consumption patterns have changed a lot in recent years, and the market is undergoing a major transformation.
The development of “alcohol-free”
On the “alcohol-free” market, beer (between 0 and 1.2% alcohol according to French legislation) is the most successful.
Between consumers who are worried about the harmful effects of alcohol on their health, those who cannot drink it, or those who must then drive, the reasons for turning to the latter are more and more numerous.
Although they represent only 3.7% of the total beer market, their growth over the past five years has been 147% (Xerfi, 2022).
Industrial brands like Kronenbourg with the “Tourtel Twist” or “0.0” from Carlsberg dominate the market, but craft beers are not to be outdone, such as the Brasserie du Mont-Blanc with the “Cristal IPA 0.0%”, d especially since now the cold and vacuum dealcoholization processes make it possible to maintain the taste qualities of the beers.
The "craft" movement, in other words craft beer, was born in the United States between the end of the 1970s and the beginning of the 1980s. Americans, tired of drinking totally bland industrial beers, decided to bring back the taste of different traditional recipes such as IPA or Stout.
Many micro-breweries are thus emerging, rediscovering the varied and authentic tastes of beer thanks, among other things, to quality hops and yeasts assembled with audacity.
In France, the number of craft breweries (producing up to 50,000 hl of beer per year) and micro-breweries (producing up to 10,000 hl) has almost quintupled between 2014 and 2021 to reach a total of nearly 2,300 breweries today. today.
However, even if the weight of the latter in national production is still quite limited with around 8% of total beer sales, craft breweries continue to develop and gain market share year after year, which also worries industrial producers.
Craft breweries and micro-breweries are independent structures, producing their own beer and generally distributing it at a local level (city, department, maximum region), mainly to beer cellars or independent distributors.
Their particularity is to brew quality raw materials according to a classic, authentic process, without adding chemicals or preservatives.
In many cases, too, the beers are not pasteurized in order to let the fermentation take its course and a variety of flavors develop.
Their success testifies to the importance of craftsmanship and the promotion of local products.
Bière des Bräu is a Grenoble micro-brewery that was created in 2020. Its founders, Paul and Nico, two enthusiasts, consider beer to be a product that allows for inventiveness and creativity.
Paul explains that with Nico they like to create original recipes, a little eccentric but which resemble them and which they enjoy brewing.
Behind each of their beers hides an anecdote.
According to him, the three pillars of “craft” are independence, creativity and human size.
The growing importance of food/beer pairings
In terms of gastronomy, food/beer pairings are increasingly popular.
While a few years ago it was unthinkable to drink beer during a meal, habits are changing.
Tasting a tome with flowers accompanied by an artisanal IPA will, for example, allow the fatty acids of the cheese to bring out the aromas of hops in the beer.
French chefs are not left out.
Pierre Sang Boyer, a fervent defender of this drink, likes to create culinary creations in association with artisanal dark beer, the rich aromas of which he finds go well with the sweetness of sweet potato and the acidity of orange, for example.
The starred chef Hélène Darroze creates pairing recipes for a major brand of industrial beer.
Finally, the appearance in 2019 of the neologisms zythology and beerology (two synonyms that relate to the study of beer, brewing and breweries) shows the growing interest in what relates to this drink.
Moreover, the profession of zythologist is also developing.
Like the sommelier, he is able to taste, advise and sell beer, the production process of which he perfectly masters.
It intervenes during brewing, and guides the choice of beer styles.
OUR “BEER” FILE
The zythologist Élisabeth Pierre never ceases to make known the world of beer, through professional training and books.
She also created the Bierissima circle which highlights the presence of women in the world of beer – a world whose imagination is traditionally associated with men.
This drink has obviously not finished talking about it.
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